Isabella County Highpoint Trip Report
two areas (one has BM) in southeast 1/4 of northeast 1/4 (1,270+ ft)
Date: April 21, 2007
Author: Andy Hatzos
Isabella County is the home of Central Michigan University, the college I attended.
As such, it was very important to me that I reach the county's
highest point before graduation.
The high point is located on land owned by the family of Wakelin McNeel.
Central Michigan University students may recognize the name, as a small woodlot
near the campus library is named in his honor. McNeel was a teacher at the
university and his father (also Wakelin McNeel) was famed as an environmentalist.
The first step to reaching the high point was to obtain permission from the
McNeel family, who reside in Mount Pleasant. They were extremely courteous to
me and were happy to grant permission. I will not post the contact information
here but anyone interested in the Isabella County highpoint can contact me
iorder to receive it.
To reach the highpoint, I began in Mount Pleasant at the intersection of Mission
Road and M-20. I took M-20 to the west for 11 miles, then turned north on
Coldwater Road for two miles. I made a left at West River Road and traveled for
three miles before reaching Wyman Road. There is a pull-off to the south no
more than two-tenths of a mile beyond Wyman Road.
I parked at the pull-off -- the entrance to a gated road -- and followed the
obvious trail into a large clearing. At the end of the field, the trail becomes
filled with leaves, sticks, and logs, as it heads upward toward the summit.
There is a crest along the trail before it heads back down and I turned to the
right to hike into the woods. I quickly reached a small rise along the path -
the small 1,250+ ft contour just north of the benchmark. Here, there is a wooden
sign leaning against a tree. The text of the sign is as follows:
"Bundy Hill. A living memorial to Wakelin McNeel. Educator-scientist and conservationist.
Plants, stumps, and wildlife must not be disturbed -- help to preserve the
natural beauty of this area. No motor vehicles allowed."
From here, I hiked south a short distance to the eastern summit, past a few
large boulders to my west, and found the benchmark "Bundy" as depicted on the
topographic map. The benchmark is dated 1932, and is listed by the National
Geodetic Survey at an elevation of 1,276 feet. There isn't much in the way of a
view from the eastern summit, due to tall trees in every direction.
The western summit is a short walk from here and does actually have a decent
view toward the southwest. As the two areas are so close together, it's easy
enough to visit both in order to claim the county.
report with links to photos